Propelling mechanism for tube forming machines



Jan. 2, 1934. t P. H. MINTON 1,941,993

PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR TUBE FORMING MACHINES Filed Oct. 27, 1932 INVENTOR 4 40 FWZJZJ Z Z-nm,

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 2, 1934 PATENT OFFICE PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR TUBE V FORMING MACHINES Paul H. Minton, Chatham, N. J.

Application October 2'7, 1932. Serial No. 639,852

r 16 Claims.

This invention relates 'to improvements in mechanism for rotating and propelling spirally wrapped tubing as formed on tube making machinery, whereby such tubing is both axially rotated in the course of its productionand progressively advanced longitudinally as formed.

This invention has for its principalobject to provide, in connection with mechanism'for spirally winding one or more strips 'of material into running lengthsof tubing, a novel arrangement of feed belt having mutually counterbalancing opposed courses interwrapped about the tubing to be actuated, whereby such tubing is both rotated and advanced during formation thereof, while at the same time its movements are maintained centered relative to its longitudinal axis.

This invention has for a further object to provide novel means for adjusting and driving the, feed belt, and for regulating the tension thereof.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the novel feed belt mechanism according to this invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on line 22 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view,

taken on line 33 in Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to'said drawing, the reference character 5 indicates laterally spaced supporting brackets having legs 6for. mounting the same upon the table or bed of a tube making machine in upwardly oifset relation thereto.

Adjustablysecured to said bracketsfor lateral extensiontherebetween are a pair of longitudie nally spaced bridge plates '7 and 8, the same'being capable :of adjustable movement toward and from one another. Suitable means are provided for so adjustablysecuring saidbridge platesto said brackets, as, for. example,.the provision of longitudinal slots 9 in the bodies of. the latter through which are passed fastening screws 10'1t'o engage and support the ends of said bridge plates in desired adjusted and secured connectionwith said brackets.

The supporting framework for the feed belt mechanism thus constituted by said brackets and bridge plates is so mounted on the table or bed of the. tube 'maki ng'machine as to be aligned beneath the path of movement of the tubing T which is being produced by the latter, and in such manner that the tubing moves above and transversely across the intermediate portions of said bridge plates 7 and 8.

i The bridge plates 7 and 8 are respectively provided with upstanding bearing posts ll and 12 spaced outwardly from one side of the path of movement of the tubing T; and, in like manner, said bridge plates '7 and 8 are respectively provided with similar upstanding'bearing posts 13 and 14 spaced outwardly from the opposite side of the path of movement of said tubing T.

Journaled respectively in the bearing posts l1, 12, '13 and 14 are the respective vertical shafts 15, 16, 17 and 18 upon which are respectively secured driven belt pulleys 19, 20, 21 and 22. Suitable transmission means are provided for driving said belt pulleys from a source of power. For ex ample, such transmission meansmay comprise a longitudinal drive shaft-23 journaled in bearing members 24; the latter being secured to the legs 6' of one of the brackets 5. Fixed upon said drive shaft 23, subject to longitudinal adjustment thereon, are bevel pinions 25 and 26. Fixed on the lower extremity of vertical shaft 15 is a bevel gear 27 which meshes with and is driven by said pinion 25, and fixed on the lower extremity of vertical shaft 16 is a similar bevel gear 28 which meshes with and is driven by said pinion 26, whereby the pulleys 19 and 20 are directly driven from said drive shaft 23. The pulley 22 is driven from and in opposite direction to the pulley 19 by intermediate gearing comprising, a gear 29 fixed on the shaft 15 of pulley 19, which gear 29 drives a similar gear 30 fixedon the shaft 18 of pulley 22 through a'pair of intermeshing intermediate gears 31 and 32 which are respectively freely rotatable on stud shafts 33 and 34 dependent from the underside of bridge plate '7. In like manner, the pulley 21 is driven from and in opposite direction to the pulley 20 by intermediate 7 gearing comprising, a gear 35 fixed on the shaft 16 of pulley '20, which gear 35 drives a similar gear 36 fixed on shaft 17 of pulley 21 throughia pair of intermeshing intermediate gears 37 and 38 which are respectively freely rotatable' on stud shafts 39 and 40 dependent from the underside of bridge plate 8. It will be obvious that, in its broader aspects, my invention is not to be limited to the above described specific forms of transmission means for actuating the driven pulleys 19, 20, 21 and 22, and that such transmission means issubject to more or less variation in kind, the only requirement being that the pulleys are all driven at uniform speed, and that pulleys 19 and 20 are so driven as to turn in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of pulleys 21 and 22.

Fixed upon and extending across and between the brackets 5 is a channeled guide plate 41 provided along its margins with undercut guide walls 42. Suitably mounted in and upon said guide plate, for adjustable movement toward and from the path of movement of the tubing T at one side of the latter, is a slide block 43 which carries an upstanding stud shaft 44. Said slide block 43 is formed to provide an internally right threaded nut-piece 45 between the same and the shaft 44 carried thereby. A belt tightener pulley 46 is mounted for free rotation on said stud shaft 44. In like manner, slidably mounted in and upon said guide plate, for adjustable movement toward and from the path of movement of the tubing T at the opposite side of the latter, is a similar slide block 47 which carries an upstanding stud shaft 48. Said slide block 47 is formed to provide an internally left threaded nut-piece 49 between the same and the shaft 48 carried thereby. A second belt tightener pulley 50 is mounted for free rotation on said stud shaft 48. Affixed to one end of said guide plate 41 is a bearing block 51 in which is journaled an adjusting screw 52. This adjusting screw is provided with a right threaded section 53 to engage in and through theright threaded nut-piece 45 of the carriage for said belt tightener pulley 46, and is further provided with a left threaded section 54 to engage in and through the left threaded nut-piece 49 of the carriage for said belt tightener pulley 50. Afiixed on the journaled end of said adjusting screw 52 is a crank or hand wheel 55 for turning the same.

The feed belt is preferably made of leather, but may be made of any other suitable material having requisite pliability, and the same is preferably made in a continuous single piece. As operatively engaged over the drive pulleys and belt tightener pulleys and as applied to the tubing T, said feed belt is arranged to provide two opposed and mutually counterbalancing courses A and B respectively formed by running the belt over said pulleys as follows:

Starting from the drive pulley 19, belt course A passes from pulley 19 over belt tightener pulley 46, thence over drive pulley 20, and thence obliquely toward and around tubing T, forming a complete spiral turn 0. around the latter. From said turn a course A joins course B, which extends around drive pulley 22, thence over belt tightener pulley 50, thence over drive pulley 21, and thence obliquely toward and around tubing T, forming a complete spiral turn b around the latter, from which turn b course B joins course A to pass around drive pulley.19, whereby the circuit of the feed belt is completed. The spiral turns a and b are interwrapped around the tubing T in staggered relation. I

The tension of the feed belt courses A and B may be simultaneously and equally adjusted by the opposite adjusting movements of the carriages upon which the belt-tightener pulleys 46 and 50 are respectively mounted toward or from the tubing T, which movements are imparted thereto by turning the adjusting screw 52 in one direction or the other as may be required. The angle of the interwrapped spiral turns a. and b of the feed belt (which is a factor in determining the speed of longitudinal advance of the tubing Timay be altered or adjusted by moving the bridge plates '7 and 8, which carry the drive pulleys, toward or from one another, whereby drive pulleys 19 and 22 may be spaced at desired angle-determining distances respectively relative to drive pulleys 20 and 21.

It will be apparent that the tubing T (as formed by any suitable mechanism for spirally winding the flexible strips of material comprising the same into a tubular structure) as it issues from the winding mechanism is engaged by the spiral turns a and b of the novel running feed belt, whereby as said belt is driven the tubing T will be both rotated about its longitudinal axis by the grip of said turns a and b, as the latter revolve about the tubing, as well as advanced longitudinally by the component of longitudinal movement of said turns a and b, due to their spirally angular relation to the tubing. By reason of the novel arrangement of the feed belt, whereby the run thereof is, in effect, divided into two mutually opposed and oppositely moving courses A and B respectively on opposite sides of the tubing T and respectively terminating in the turns a and b, the lateral tensional pull of the latter being respectively mainly directed against opposite sides of the tubing T with mutually counterbalancing effect, it follows that no mandrel or mandrel extension is necessary to support and guide the tubing at the point of propulsion by the feed belt, since the novel specified arrangement of the latter produces a self-centering effect upon the tubing as the same is rotated and advanced thereby.

Another advantage of the novel form and arrangement of feed belt lies in the circumstance that the same may be operated at less tension since a relatively large area of the belt is in counterbalancing contact with the tubing; as a result of this ability to effectively run the belt at a minimum tension, the useful life of the belt is greatly prolonged, there is less tendency to stretching of the belt, and less risk of binding the strip material on the forming mandrel and less risk of laterally crushing or deforming the desired normal contour of the finished tubing. In the novel means for driving the feed belt, provision has been made for delicately and quickly adjusting the belt tension, while the belt is running. The means for so doing comprises the screw adjusted belt tightener pulleys by which each belt course A and B is served, and which are arranged to be simultaneously and equally moved toward and from the path of the tubing against the respective belt courses with exact and equal tightening or relaxing effects as may be at any time desired. I

Another advantage 'of the novel feed belt arrangement is that a maximum of belt surface is in contact with the tubing, whereby tendency to slippage relative to the surface of the tubing, with loss or inequality of rotating and advancing effect thereupon, is avoided. Furthermore, the driving arrangement for the belt is suchthat all four main pulleys guiding and operating the same are power driven at equal speeds, and consequently tendency of belt slippage relative to drivingpulleys, with like risk of unequal or interrupted rotating and advancing effect'upon the tubing, is likewise avoided.

It will therefore be obvious, that the novel feed belt is adapted to smoothly and co'ntinuouslyrotate and advance tubing in nicely adjusted timed relation to the formation and. issue of the same from the winding means of the tube forming mechanism. It will be noticed from an inspection of the; drawing, that each belt course A and B is provided with face reversing twists, so that the surface of the feed belt which runs in contact with the pulleys is reversed'between the latter and the turns a and b which embrace the tubing T, and consequently the latter surfaces are less likely to accumulate soil or grease and transfer the same to the surfaces of the tubing with defacing effect thereupon.

Various modifications of the details of the feed belt driving mechanism and mounting therefor may be made in accordance with type of work to be done, i. e. in accordance with machine design requirements for comparatively heavy duty, as involved in the manufacture of large and heavy sizes of tubing, such. e. g. as mailing tubes and the like; or in accordance with requirements for comparatively light duty, as involved in the manufacture of small sizes of tubing, such e. g. as drinking straws, absorbent cartridges for smoking appliances and similar products.

As many changes could be made in the above described constructions, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof; it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention): claim:-

1. A mechanism for rotating and advancing tubing as formed from spirally wound strips, comprising feed belt means, means for supporting and driving said feed belt means, said feed belt means being so disposed relative to said supporting and driving means as to provide opposed and oppositely moving courses respectively at opposite sides of said tubing and joined by spiral turns engaged around said tubing in staggered and mutually counterbalancing relation.

2. A mechanism for rotating and advancing tubing as formed from spirally wound strips, comprising feed belt means, means for supporting and driving said feed belt means, said feed belt means A being so disposed relative to said supporting and V counterbalancing relation, and means cooperative with each individual feed belt course for regulating the tension thereof.

3. A mechanism for rotating and advancing tubing as formed from spirally wound strips, comprising feed belt means, means for supporting and driving said feed belt means, said feed belt means being so disposed relative to said supporting and driving means as to provide opposed and oppositely moving courses respectively at opposite sides of said tubing and joined by spiral turns engaged aroimd said tubing in staggered and mutually counterbalancing relation, tension regulating means for each feed belt course, and means for simultaneously and equally adjusting said regulating means.

4. A mechanism for rotating and advancing tubing as formed from spirally wound strips, comprising pairs of pulleys respectively positioned on opposite sides of the path of movement of said tubing, a feed belt arranged to provide opposed and oppositely moving courses respectively running over said respective pairs of pulleys, said feed belt courses joining in spiral turns engaged around said tubing in staggered and mutually counterbalancing relation, and means to drive said pulleys to actuate said feed belt.

5. A mechanism for rotating and advancing tubing as formed from spirally wound strips, comprising pairs of pulleys respectively positioned on opposite sides of the path of movement of said tubing, a feed belt arranged to provide opposed and oppositely moving courses respectively running over said respective pairs of pulleys, said feed belt courses joining in spiral turns engaged around said tubing in staggered and mutually counterbalancing relation, means to drive said pulleys to actuate said feed belt, tension regulating means for each feed belt course, and means for simultaneously and equally adjusting said regulating means.

6. A mechanism for rotating and advancing tubing as formed from spirally wound strips, comprisingpairs of pulleys respectively positioned on opposite sides of the path of movement of said tubing, a feed belt arranged to provide opposed and oppositelymoving courses respectively running over said respective pairs of pulleys, said feed belt courses joining in spiral turns engaged around said tubing in staggered and mutually counterbalancing relation, means to drive said pulleys to actuate said feed belt, a belt tightener pulley intermediate the members of each pair of pulleys to engage the run of said feed belt passing therebetween, and means for regulating the pressure of said belt tightener pulleys on the belt courses engaged thereby.

'7. A mechanism for rotating and advancing tubing as formed from spirally wound strips, comprising pairs of pulleys respectively positioned on opposite sides of the path of movement of said tubing, a feed belt arranged to provide opposed and oppositely moving courses respectively running over said respective pairs of pulleys, said feed belt courses joining in spiral turns engaged around said tubing in staggered and mutually counterbalancing relation, means to drive said pulleys ,to actuate said feed belt, a belt tightener pulley intermediate the mem bers of each pair of pulleys to engage the run of said feed belt passing therebetween, a guided slidable support for each belt tightener pulley, and an adjusting screw having right and left threaded sections cooperative with said respective slidable supports for simultaneously and equally moving the same to equally govern the pressure of said belt tightener pulleys relative to the respective feed belt courses and their tube engaging turns.

8. A mechanism for rotating and advancing tubing as formed from spirally wound strips, comprising pairs of pulleys respectively positioned on opposite sides of the path of movement of said tubing, a feed belt arranged to provide opposed and oppositely moving courses respectively running over said respective pairs of pulleys, said feed belt courses joining in spiral turns engaged around said tubing in stag- 135 gered and mutually counterbalancing relation, means to drive said pulleys to actuate said feed belt, a belt tightener pulley intermediate the members of each pair of pulleys to engage the run of said feed belt passing therebetween, a guided slidable support for each belt tightener pulley, an adjusting screw having right and left threaded sections cooperative with said respective slidable supports for simultaneously and 5 equally moving the same to equally govern the pressure of said belt tightener pulleys relative to the respective feed belt courses and their tube engaging turns, a common support for corresponding pulleys of the respective pairs thereof, 159

cylindrical formations, comprising a continuous and means for adjusting said supports toward and from each other to vary the angular pitch of said tube engaging spiral turns of said feed belt courses.

'9. A mechanism for rotating and advancing cylindrical formations, comprising a continuous feed belt having crossed diagonal courses formed with spiral turns arranged in staggered and mu-.

tually counterbalanced relation upon the cylindrical formation.

10. A mechanism for rotating and advancing cylindrical formations, comprising a continuous feed belt having crossed diagonal courses formed with spiral turns arranged in staggered and mutually counterbalanced relation upon the cylindrical formation, a system of pulleys to support said feed belt, and means for driving said pulleys to actuate said feed belt.

11. A mechanism for rotating and advancing cylindrical formations, comprising a continuous feed belt having crossed diagonal courses formed with spiral turns arranged in staggered and mutually counterbalanced relation upon the cylindrical formation, a system of pulleys to support said feed belt, means for driving said pulleys to actuate said feed belt, and means for adjustably positioning said pulleys to selectively determine the angularity of said diagonal belt courses and their spiral turns.

12. A mechanism for rotating and advancing feed belt having crossed diagonal courses formed with spiral turns arranged in staggered and mutually counterbalanced relation upon the cylindrical formation, a system of pulleys to support said feed belt, means for driving said pulleys to actuate said feed belt, and means for adjustably positioning said pulleys to selectively determine the angularity of said diagonal belt courses and their spiral turns, and means for regulating the running tension of said feed belt.

13. A mechanism for rotating and advancing cylindrical formations, comprising a continuous feed belt having crossed diagonal courses formed with spiral turns arranged in staggered and mutually counterbalanced relation upon the cylindrical formation, a system of pulleys to support said feed belt, means for driving said pulleys to actuate said feed belt, and means for regulating the running tension of said feed belt.

14. A mechanism for rotating and advancing cylindrical formations, comprising a continuous, feed belt having crossed diagonal courses formed with spiral turns arranged in staggered and mutually counterbalanced relation upon the cylindrical formation, a plurality of pulleys located respectively at the ends of said crossed diagonal courses of said feed belt to support the latter, and means for driving said pulleys to actuate the belt.

15. A mechanism for rotating and advancing cylindrical formations, comprising a continuous feed belt having crossed diagonal courses formed with spiral turns arranged in. staggered and mutually counterbalanced relation upon the cylindrical formation, a plurality of pulleys located respectively at the ends of said crossed diagonal courses of said feed belt to support the latter, means for driving said pulleys to actuate the belt, and tension regulating means cooperative with the respective return runs of said crossed diagonal courses of said feed belt.

16. A mechanism for rotating and advancing cylindrical formations, comprising a continuous feed belt having crossed diagonal courses formed with spiral turns arranged in staggered and mutually counterbalanced relation upon the cylindrical formation, a plurality of pulleys located respectively at the ends of said crossed diagonal courses of said feed belt to support the latter, means for driving said pulleys to actuate the belt, tension regulating means cooperative with the respective return runs of said crossed diagonal courses of said feed belt, and means for simultaneously and equally actuating said tension regulating means.

PAUL H. MINTON. 

